Talking to Jeremy Fish

Set the scene in your mind: It was a nice summer afternoon and the fog was rolling into the bay. To celebrate the release of our first artist collaboration with San Francisco-based artist, Jeremy Fish, I met with him at a cool pizzeria in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. We casually puffed away on the new cartridge filled with Tangie (our highest potency cartridge yet), and we chatted about his inspiration, art, health, and cannabis. Great, keep that picture in your mind, because had he been on the West Coast that is exactly how it would have gone down. The truth is Mr. Fish was nice enough to answer my questions via email while he’s in New Jersey showing his Spirit Animals collection at one of the largest art shows of his career.

You grew up in Albany, NY but moved to San Francisco for art school when you were 19. How have these places influenced your art?

Jeremy: I grew up with old world architecture, and a changing of the seasons. My mother was a librarian and a teacher, and I spent extensive time in libraries messing around. California changed my life forever. My imagination, my education, my heart, and my career all exploded here over the last quarter century here in San Francisco.

Animals (especially woodland creatures) seem to be an overarching theme across your work. What draws you to—well—draw nature.

Jeremy: I draw animals mainly because of their symbolism and resemblance to human traits and behavior much like in fables or children's books. I also think most critters are cute as hell, and I like to use that cute combined with some creepy to create a tension in my artwork.

You’ve spoken about how discovering a brain aneurysm in 2014 made you reevaluate your stress and heavy workload. How has medical cannabis impacted your life?

Jeremy: In the 90's, while in college, I worked for Dennis Peron to get signatures on the ballot in California to legalize Medicinal Marijuana. As a result of our efforts, I have had my medicinal rec. since waaaaay back then. I have experienced pretty intense migraine headaches since I was a kid/teenager, and had started to use grass to relieve. When doctors found my aneurysm years ago I was asked to stop smoking immediately. These days I prefer to medicate with concentrates and edibles mainly. AbsoluteXtracts has been very supportive to me with the soft gels and these absolutely amazing premium grade Fish Tanks.

We’re thrilled to be partnering with you on our first artist collaboration and rolling out Tangie, our 19th (and highest potency) strain-specific cartridge (appropriately named Fish Tanks). What do you like about this strain and collab?

Jeremy: Thanks! I am very happy to collaborate with you guys as well. I selected Tangie because I have farmer friends who have a history of growing this strain for our great state. I also enjoy the effervescent citrus flavor the strain is well known for. It translates really well to a premium, high potency oil for this Fish Tank. It was most important to me that the collaboration had to be top shelf on every level. Not just with some artwork and fancy packaging, but that the medicine and the delivery system were the Absolute best available on the market, with the highest THC % possible. Only then would I be proud to put my name, and my artwork on it.

You drew some really cool lungs to go on the Fish Tank packaging. Can you tell us more about what these Happy Lungs mean to you?

Jeremy: Quitting carcinogens was very tough for me. These oil vaporizers helped provide a simple, low maintenance, non-offensive, consistent, and PREMIUM potency high. That made my little lungs really happy. They were tired of all that smoke.